Jamie Lee Curtis discusses past opioid addiction: ‘No one knew’

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 23: Jamie Lee Curtis attends the Australian Premiere of Halloween at Event Cinemas George Street on October 23, 2018 in Sydney, Australia.

Jamie Lee Curtis discusses past opioid addiction: ‘No one knew’

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 23: Jamie Lee Curtis attends the Australian Premiere of Halloween at Event Cinemas George Street on October 23, 2018 in Sydney, Australia.

Jamie Lee Curtis is proud to be nearly 20 years sober but says it hasn’t been easy.

The actress, who currently stars in “Halloween,” told People she first became addicted to pain killers in 1989 and hid it for ten years.

“I was ahead of the curve of the opiate epidemic,” Curtis said. “I had a 10-year run, stealing, conniving. No one knew. No one.”

This is not the first time that Curtis has opened up about her addiction. In 2001, Curtis told CNN, “I don’t know if any of us can really explain what addiction is exactly, because I think it changes with each individual. I think what we can talk about, is really that there’s hope to recover from it.”

Curtis, the daughter of actor Tony Curtis, who also battled substance abuse, said she hopes her sobriety influences future generations of her family.

“I’m breaking the cycle that has basically destroyed the lives of generations in my family,” she said in her interview with People. “Getting sober remains my single greatest accomplishment… bigger than my husband, bigger than both of my children and bigger than any work, success, failure. Anything.”

Curtis said she still attends recovery meetings and does her best to pay it forward.

“In recovery meetings, anyone who brings up opiates, the entire room will turn and look at me, because I’ll be like, ‘Oh here, talk to me. I’m the opiate girl.'”